Self Fulfilling Prophecy

The economy that is. Excuse me while I get all economic-y.

Economics is a bunch of theories based historical events to predict the future. Well, with recessions, it too is a theory but all it takes is for one person to allude to a recession for the markets to panic as they did yesterday and today. So what happens....a recession.

I mean most economists are smart people and many know that it is based on history but damn it, all it takes is for rational thinking to take over. So there is no need for a recession panic to start. The markets should have gone about as normal thus reducing the impact of a possible recession. I am not saying that a recession won't happen but the severity of it can be greatly reduced if people buy and sell as normal.

So now governments and markets are freaking out. So now the bale out begins and we'll see what happens and if it stabilizes.

Just historically, consumers are going to save more of their money and not spend on big ticket items. The money that they save will be at a lower percentage rate earning less than if the Fed did not cut the interest. Businesses will slow down plans for growth especially if their products or services are not seen as extremely necessary. Thus leading to more unemployment and more strain on the average person.

Adding to this is the drop of the value of the US dollar. People are freaking out about it but what happens it that it makes American goods cheaper in the world market. So this encourages foreigners to buy American thus boosting the goods exported and leads to a stronger dollar. We need people to buy and if our goods and services are cheaper then we should encourage it.

Looking globally, China is our biggest challenge because they used a fixed exchange rate so currency will be artificially cheaper than even our dollar. If they were to allow their currency to float then that would probably lead to a situation where their currency would be more expensive than it is now, making their exports more expensive and allow more of a world market where different countries can drive up or down prices.

Anyway, off my soapbox now.

It costs WHAT?

So I got my new benefits package from the new company yesterday and promptly burst in to tears. I can't believe how fregging expensive they all are, we get to pick from 4 plans one being an HMO and the other three PPOs. I was floored at their costs, one benefit to my previous employer was that they picked a national health care and were able to supplement most of the costs. Not my new one, even with the cheapest bare bones insurance I will be making less....that is right LESS than I did last year.

Is it too late to reconsider this whole prospect?

I am absolutely amazed at how much health care is in America. I am all for socialized medicine like in France, Canada and the UK. Where the government subsidizes that cost of medical care. The reason why prescription drugs are so dirt cheap in Canada as compared to the US is because the government subsidizes the pharmacies so that the cost savings can be passed on to their citizens. That will never happen here, look at medicare and Medicaid. With the new changes in the legislation so many elderly and poverty stricken Americans are struggling to make ends meet. A few months back, NPR had a story about that and they interviewed this elderly woman (I believe that she was in her 80s) saying how she is cutting her medicine in half so that she can afford to eat each month.

It is sicking but, wait....I can't afford to get sick!

The 4th "R"

Ok soapbox time, let me dust it off and get on.

Yesterday on my way to school, there two teenage girls got on. They could not be more than 16 years old. They were chatting and one of them says that this is the first winter in two years that isn't "with no baby". She proceeds to tell her friend that is glad she is not pregnant and that this summer she won't worry about giving birth because she wants to go out with her friends. Her friend mentioned that she should bring the kids to her house so that her mother can watch the babies while the go away for the weekend.

It got me thinking...you are 16 years old with two kids and you are worried that they are cramping your freedom. Well to put it in terms that they can associate with.. Duh!

I often wonder how things like pregnancy can happen to young people. I know that there are many factors and it is hard to pinpoint just one. I am not blaming nor judging them for their actions. But actions have consequences and no matter what age you are, having a baby makes you grow up fast!

Parent's have a certain responsibility but, sometimes the best intention mom or dad can't do anything to prevent it. Schools are afraid to talk about it because they may lose funding. So kids retreat to the famous rumor mill to get info and we all know how the rumor mill is full of false info.

Schools should hand out condoms and should have a honest and frank dialogue about sex. Education is a powerful tool, I mean we all can remember some things that. Should they talk about abstinence...yes just as they would talk about STDs and AIDS. I also think that students should handle a baby, change a stinky diaper, get spit up on, wake up in the middle of the night for a feeding. That teaches one what it is like to have a tiny human to look out for. It is not a doll that can be put away when you are bored, it is a living, breathing, moving tiny person.

I can speak only from my experience. We had sex ed chapter in in Catholic school in 5-8 grade. In high school, my conservative teacher told us, that she knew we had questions so she was going to answer them. So she handed out index cards and we wrote our questions and true to her word she answered each and every one of them honestly and frankly.

So just as our schools teach the 3 Rs, they should add a fourth one...responsibility. Not just about sex and its consequences but about life and its responsibility.

Ok, off my soap box...